RotoWire breaks down 6 centers to keep tabs on heading into the 2024-25 fantasy basketball season.
his is my first fantasy basketball article of the season, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to dive into it. Basketball is my true love, and I live by the moniker “Ball is Life.” For my first article of the season, we’ll dive into some undervalued centers. All of these players are outside the Top 50 in drafts, and this is the best position to find value because of how dominant these big men can be. Let’s start with a young st
Jalen Duren, DET (ADP: 58, C18)
Only a few 20-year-olds look like physically dominant players, but Duren is undoubtedly one of those guys. Despite the young age, the center averaged 13.8 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks across 29.1 minutes in his sophomore season. That type of jump is incredible for a second-year player, and it looks even better since he shot 62% from the field and 79% from the free-throw line. Not many players this young have posted numbers like those, and he’s only scratching the surface of what he could become. It’s not like anyone in this Detroit rotation will keep him off the floor because they need to build around a young center stud like this. All we need is to get this youngster to 30-35 minutes, which shouldn’t be an issue with guys like Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed behind him.
Mark Williams, CHA (ADP: 76, C23)
Williams and Duren are very similar players, with both centers dominating for two of the worst teams in the NBA. This Hornets rotation is even worse than the Pistons, with Nick Richards being the only guy who could take away minutes from Williams. That shouldn’t be an issue, though, with Williams averaging 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks on 65% shooting last year. The only issue is that he had an injury-shortened season, playing just 19 games. Williams is reportedly fully over the back issue that ailed him last season, and it’s scary to think that he posted numbers like those with a frail back. A 22-year-old with this sort of ability shouldn’t be falling to the middle rounds of drafts, and this is simply a case of fantasy managers being too weary of a tiny injury history.
Jonas Valanciunas, WAS (ADP: 86, C25)
It’s always been a matter of minutes when examining JV’s value, but a move to Washington is just what the doctor ordered. This is another center on a horrible team, with Valanciunas projected to start. It’s difficult to see any of these frontcourt players taking him off the floor because Marvin Bagley, Richaun Holmes and Patrick Baldwin have all been far from impressive. That should lock Valanciunas into a 25-minute role, and this guy was a borderline All-Star with that type of opportunity in the past. Over his last 11 seasons, JV has averaged 13.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 1.0 blocks across 26 minutes a night. He’s also shot 56% from the field and 79% from the free-throw line. You might be saying that he didn’t look the same in his time with the Pelicans last season, but the big man averaged 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in the 61 games he played at least 21 minutes. Good luck finding that from another player going just before pick 100.
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